Garbage Becomes Hydrogen To Power Public Transportation In Wuppertal, Germany

In Wuppertal, a city in western Germany, garbage is being used to make hydrogen to power public transportation. The project, called “Power-to-Gas,” began with the purpose of establishing a way to produce hydrogen. Most importantly, that the gas is produced directly at the waste incineration plant MHKW Wuppertal in the city’s Korzert district – and that the hydrogen filling station is located there too. That way, when garbage gets dropped off, it can immediately be used to make hydrogen, and then the gas can go straight to the pump where public fuel cell buses would go to fill their tanks. The project is a collaboration between WSW, AWG, and the waste management association EKOCity.

Credit: Fuel Cell Works

Power-to-Gas is a perfect example of circular economics, a city can create a cycle from waste disposal to energy generation to public transportation. The AWG waste incineration plant will house an electrolyser powered by electricity from waste incineration and a hydrogen filling station. Their motto is: Garbage makes you mobile.

“We make hydrogen out of garbage.”

Credit: WSW

The first fuel cell buses that will be used are coming from the Belgian manufacturer Van Hool. They will refuel at the AWG filling station and be used for Wuppertal public transport. They are emission-free as the only thing hydrogen gas emits is water. Meaning, less air pollution in Wuppertal!

Electricity generated by the waste-to-energy plant is 24/7 all year long, so it can quickly meet the fuelling requirements. And, as more buses join the fleet, the plant can be expanded up to three times its size. The expansion can be complete within three years.

Credit: WSW

The joint hydrogen venture (“H2-W-Hydrogen Mobility for Wuppertal”) won WSW and AWG the Stadwerke Award 2019 in Gold from the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) at the Stadtwerke Congress. (This was even before the fleet of buses came along, and the Power-to-Gas project was initiated.)

“The hydrogen project is not only economically interesting and benefits local climate protection, but also shows how the classic business areas of municipal companies can be intelligently interlocked. This so-called sector coupling is a major topic in the municipal utility industry. This is one of the reasons why H2-W has now been recognized as a beacon project in the municipal energy industry.”

What they have managed to accomplish in Wuppertal is what cities all around the world should be striving to do.